


Step by Step

by aceofhearts88



Series: Howling at the Stars [15]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Babies, Big Baby Moments, First Steps, Proud Parents, and hui look a tiny look into the future at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-12
Updated: 2017-10-12
Packaged: 2019-01-16 14:17:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12344346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceofhearts88/pseuds/aceofhearts88
Summary: Everyone starts small. Even the greatest warriors, even the greatest knights, lords and kings, they all start with tiny baby steps.





	Step by Step

**Author's Note:**

> A cute adorable little oneshot that has a special diamond in the end because instead of flashbacks into the past or mentions of past events, we have a look ahead into the future! XD  
> It's still gonna take some time though until I dive into that plot, I wanna explore Jon's childhood more still.

**Torrhen**

Torrhen took to walking like he did to everything in life, no fear, no hesitation, do it first and think about what happened later. Consequences be damned. Pure stubborness.

He had been playing in the garden of the new grand white house they had only settled in a short two days ago and Ashara was still busy trying to get her bearings, going through lists of things and people they would need now, leaving only the choice of finding guards to her brother. Everything else she focused on herself in the tranquil shadow of her new garden, her new house.

Arthur was lying on the wolfskin fur he had thrown onto the grass earlier, mindful to keep it in the shadow of a palm tree, staring down at the babe who in turn was staring up at him. They could do it for hours, Ashara had seen it on the ship already, nothing was more interesting to stare at this baby boy for her brother now, Dawn was going to get dusty in jealousy soon.

Ashara knew the feeling of course, in the first few weeks after Torrhen had been born she hadn't wanted to leave the nursery at all, obsessed with every single flicker of something in that perfect little face. And now her miracle boy was babbling back at her, called her Mama and learned new words every day, crawling quicker than she could follow him with her eyes.

It was only a matter of time now until he would pull himself up to stand on his two little feet, and then soon enough he would walk and nothing would ever be safe from those curious fingers anymore.

As fate would have it, soon turned into about right now and Torrhen decided to skip over that boring stage of just standing up all together.

He certainly never made days boring for her.

Ashara had joined Arthur and little jon in the shadows outside the house with the book she would use for housekeeping notes to keep her affairs in order. Torrhen had been crawling around in the grass, chasing after birds and pulling at flowers and fallen down leaves. She always had one eye on him, everyting needed to be touched and stuffed in one's mouth, she really couldn't wait until he stopped doing the latter.

“Do you think we'll need more than five guards?” She hummed once she dared to go back to her numbers for a moment, it had never been her favourite thing, Allyria had the talent for numbers. Arthur hummed in a sign that he was thinking, fingers tickling tiny kicking feet, Ashara used the given pause to find Torrhen again.

Only to gape.

“By the Seven!” She gasped, pushing her book and writing feather roughly to the side, not caring where it landed, “Arthur, look!” Moving onto her knees, she brought one hand over her mouth. Had her beautiful restless son been pulling at yellow flowers only a moment before, was he now standing up.

Her baby was standing up.

Both hands wrapped around the very low branch of an old blueberry bush, Torrhen's face was set into stubborn scowl as he pulled himself up. And then he was standing and Ashara felt tears shooting into her eyes, her little baby boy standing on his two feet. Violet eyes were staring hard at his bare feet in the grass as if realizing for the first time what they were actually good for.

And then his whole face lit up with amazing wonder as he looked up, how different the world had to look, looking down at the grass and the flowers that had just a moment before been in his face. Ashara sensed how her brother had sat up, but she didn't dare look away from Torrhen now.

He caught her eyes, her precious little boy, violet meeting violet and those gummy lips curled up into a grin that was so bright and beautiful, and perfect. He looked so happy, so proud and amazed by what he had done. “Mama!” He called over to her, one hand still curled around the branch, maybe six feet from them, “Mama, look!”

“Yes, I see.” She answered, voice choked up by the emotions that threatened to have her heart burst, “You are doing so great, Torrhen. Mama is so proud.” Torrhen beamed, eyes glowing and teeth showing in his smile.

And then he just let go of the branch and made a step forward. No hesitation, no confused waddling, just one foot in front of the other. He wavered then, swaying on the spot but his brows got furrowed and he fought to remain on his feet. When he succeeded, Arthur cheered in encouragement and Torrhen's smile downright turned into his first victorious smirk.

Balance regained, Torrhen made another step, and fell down onto his butt. Ashara waited a long moment for the tears to come but Torrhen instead scowled for a good few seconds before simply standing back up again. No support, no help this time, just up onto his knees and up onto those two feet.

That tiny body had figured out that walking was way more fun than crawling and nothing would put those hands back down on the ground. 

She was crying, there was no denying to those tears rolling down her cheeks, happiness making her heart pound hard. Arthur kissed her temple, laughing, joy pouring out of him as well, it was what they had needed to start this new life, a big first of many many to come. A moment of pure of joy in their new home.

“Can you come to Mama, Torrhen?” She asked and a determined nod followed, Torrhen glanced down at his feet for a second before he just toddled forward. Step by step. Wonderful step by amazing step. He picked up speed when he couldn't control it and ended up tumbling into her arms, laughing immediately, arms reaching around her as far as they could. 

“Walk!” He cried out, bouncing on the spot where she cuddled him close, pressed kisses into that wild black hair, “Torre walk!”  
“Yes, he did!” She cheered, swinging him up into the air and dangling him over her head, Torrhen was shrieking with laughter, “My beautiful boy is walking! We'll never be able to let you out of sight anymore.”

“Again!” Torrhen demanded, wriggling to be put down, “Again, again.” Ashara laughed and set him down on the fur, wiping tears away from her face. Arthur scooted a bit back and then crooked a finger, begging Torrhen over wordlessly and he made those few steps like a champion, stumbling right back into her arms afterwards.

\--

**Robb**

Robb chose to start walking because being a baby was no longer wished for, or at least that was what Catelyn would later say about it. Her beautiful perfect little boy with his auburn curls and his blue blue eyes, always smiling and laughing and so happy. Always trying things until he got it right, may it be sitting up, crawling, standing up or then also walking.

On the day that it finally happened Ned and her had taken him into the godswood for some quiet moments away from the castle. Just the three of them in this sacred place in front of the heart tree, their little family. Ned had stopped taking Ice along to sharpen since Robb had started crawling around, too worried that harm might come to the boy. 

Instead it was Catelyn now who sat on the stone by the pool of hot spring water and stitched on her embroideries while Ned spent this little free time he had as a still young unexperienced Lord of Winterfell to walk around with his son. Both of Robb's hands tightly held in his as he guided Robb into some steps. 

Catelyn was very much aware that it didn't count yet, Robb was not holding any weight of his own, but he still looked very concentrated while he watched his feet touch the ground. Tongue lolling out as if he was truly a wolf of Stark blood.

“You should let him try it on his own, Ned.” Catelyn chuckled when Robb squeeled as her husband suddenly pulled him up again, throwing him a little bit into the air before catching him with steady hands again. “He'll need to walk on his own one day.”  
“That'll entail him growing up, and maybe I don't want that.” Ned chuckled and tickled Robb's stomach before setting him down on the soft earth and walking over to sit on the ground himself, right at the right side of Catelyn's knees.

She laughed, finishing another row of the direwolf, only looking up when a loud call of “Mama!” came just as Ned leaned against her side, a little tired from the last days' busy harvest duties. Robb waved at her, he liked waving and with her hands so busy, Catelyn gifted him with a bright smile.

In the next minutes, with Ned leaning against her legs with eyes closed, quietly talking with her about the preparations that still needed to be completed for the Manderlys' visit in a fortnight and Robb babbling to himself while he played with fallen leaves, it was the peaceful family time she so enjoyed in these days. 

She was nearly finished with the direwolf on the tunic when another call of “Mama” came, followed immediately by “Papa” and an insisting growling sound that Robb had started copying from the hunting hounds. Catelyn found it utterly adorable. They both looked over to him, finding him a bit closer to them but still a few feet away, hands free of leaves again. Robb's sky blue eyes were looking at them. “No baby.” He said, like a declaration, stubborn jaw set, hand coming up to point at himself, “No baby.”

And then, under their completely gobsmacked faces, Robb pushed himself to his feet with a sweet little grunt. Once standing he nodded to himself really and then just...walked...just walked like his father was still standing behind him and holding his weight, guiding his steps. Catelyn dropped her embroidery and slapped a hand against her husband's chest, as if Ned still needed any prompting to stare at his son.

Robb walked over to them with determined steps, goal clearly set in his little mind. Step by step. Before he giggled and dropped against his mother's legs, small chubby arms coming to hug her knees and skirts as he looked up at her with big eyes. “No baby.” He pointed out once more, looking over to his father as well, “No baby. Robb.”

Ned laughed and moved forward until he was kneeling on the ground, hands grabbing his son and dangling him up into the air by his feet, Robb shrieked loudly with joy and happiness. 

“Yes, you are!” Ned laughed loudly, swinging Robb around again and setting him onto his mother's lap, tickling him behind his little knees. “You are no baby anymore, Robb, aren't you? You're gonna be a big boy, a strong big warrior.” And Robb gave one curt nod, Catelyn snorted with laughter, slapping a hand over her mouth when Ned glanced at her with a grin.

\--

**Jon**

Jon approached walking like he did a great many things, with lots of thinking and brooding silence, even as a babe of only one name day he had already been exceptionally great at it. The first step to walking, crawling, had been mastered perfectly by the time he readied himself for step two.

Which in his plan apparently involved a lot of observing.

In the weeks leading up to those magical first steps, Arthur often found Jon sitting wherever the boys were playing in the house, violet eyes fanatically set on Torrhen's feet and legs. One could almost see that little mind turning itself round and round in figuring out how the older boy was doing that thing that brought him around on two feet like the big people.

Every time Arthur sat down to give some starting help and pulled Jon to his feet, holding tight onto his tiny little hands, he cashed in confused looks as if the boy wanted to ask him what he was doing there. No help appreciated, this was a one-boy-job.

A few days after stopping his tries to heave Jon to his feet to show him how it went, he walked into the sitting room at the open atrium and found said little boy standing on two shaky legs, hands holding him up against the low table. Small face all concentrated, a big effort going on in figuring out this whole balance thing, wasn't easy.

Silently Arthur moved to sit down on the divan behind his little boy, watching with a warm heart how that tiny body kept on swaying on the spot. And then Jon made a funny content kind of noise and dropped back down onto the ground, enough work on the whole standing thing for the day. Arthur chuckled and picked him up, leaning back on the divan and setting Jon on his stomach, “You'll have that down soon, don't you worry.” He told the boy who grinned at him as if he understood, reaching out to pat his Papa's cheeks, babbling away. “Exactly, little wolf, soon enough we'll have two little troublemakers running around here.”

The great big moment came a week and a half later then while they were playing with the boys before bedtime out on the patio. Torrhen was clumsily throwing around a hollowed out coconut with his mother, Arthur had more fun watching the unimpressed scowl on Jon's face. They had cuddled until Arthur had on a spur of the moment decision set Jon down onto the ground in front of the settee and then sat down a few steps away.

Jon had blinked at first and then he had pulled himself up onto his feet with help of the table, where he was still standing, but with both hands in the air by now. Making grabby hands at his Papa. 

“Back?” He asked, all round eyes and pouty lips, eyebrows furrowed together, Arthur smiled and patted his knees with his hands.  
“Why don't you come to me, Jon, hm? Come to me, little wolf.” He encouraged and stretched out a hand towards Jon, palm open, offering. Jon blinked and the grabby hands became more insistent, Arthur could hear Ashara laugh, Torrhen would have been loudly demanding what he wanted by now, Jon just made hands like an angry crab. “Come here, little wolf.”

Ultimately realizing that he wasn't going to get his wish, Jon huffed and dropped his hands, Arthur bit back an even bigger smile. Frustration could be so adorable. He still kept his hand outstretched and waited, Jon would need time to think this out. And thinking he did, eyes switching back and forth between Arthur's face and his outstretched hands.

Then, a decision was made. 

Arthur held his breath when Jon looked straight at him, little tongue peeking out between his lips as one small foot got raised and set down again on the ground a little but in front of the other. For a second, Jon seemed surprised that it had worked but then joy took over and he grinned, Arthur laughed, pride swelling his chest.

“That's it, come here, Jon. Come to Papa!”

The second foot followed the first and then he was walking. Step by step. Walking, he was walking and Arthur knew he couldn't be grinning any brighter. Jon grasped a finger when he could, steps getting more secure on the last little quick ones he took before he fell into Arthur's lap. Arthur cheered loudly and swung him up under his arms, throwing him up into the air and catching him again, snuggling him close.

“That's my great boy!”

And Jon giggled and wrapped both arms tight around his neck.

\--

**Edric**

Edric began walking because he wanted to help, he wanted to comfort and make someone feel better, that was all him and with his sweet heart. Dayne determination and kindness.

Andric's mood had been terrible in the first days after they had returned from the trip to King's Landing, confrontation with Selmy going through his head again and again, the talks with Lord Arryn and Stannis Baratheon turning around in his mind until he was half convinced he was reading too much into everything they had said.

The rest of Starfall was busy with finally bringing Allyria's and Benjen's wedding going ahead before Allyria's patience entirely ran out. Edric, his darling little son, was the only one around while Andric was supposed to be working but instead scowled at reports and thought back to the bloody Red Keep.

Edric had been playing on the ground with some of the wooden blocks that Benjen had cut and polished for him, bashing them against each other or trying to stack them up. It was almost soothing to watch him, happy content smiles, quiet joyful babbling.

If only the headache wasn't pounding in his skull.

Some time later, no idea how much in Andric's tired mind, he found himself blearily staring at numbers and having no idea what they even were. He groaned and closed his eyes, setting his elbows onto the desk so he could drop his face into his hands. Andric remained like that until there was a tap against his waist by a small hand.

“Papa is okay, Edric.” He assured his little boy and then suddenly snapped his head up out of his hands, because the tap had been against his waist and not his leg and how had Edric gotten so high and why hadn't he heard him approach when he always made so much noise while craw....

“Papa, come.” Edric said and was holding out a hand, standing completely upright and perfectly balanced in the middle of the space between Andric and the bookcase. “Come, Papa!” Edric demanded and Andric was too tired and shocked to even say a word. He stood up and took his son's hand. Edric led him over to the settee by the fireplace.

He walked him over to the settee.

Step by step.

Andric sunk down on it with gaping lips and stunned eyes, and then watched completely speechless how Edric toddled over to his toys and grabbed a wooden figurine of a horse. He returned to his father, gummy smile and bright eyes.

And walking completely on his own after they had spent so many weeks trying to get him to do it, but Edric had always preferred to keep crawling and stretching out arms to be picked up. No interest in walking.

“Papa, play.”

“You're walking.” Andric choked out instead of grabbing the horse Edric held out, “You're walking, Edric. You saw Papa unhappy and you walked over to help.” Edric grinned, as if understanding and then dropped the horse into his Papa's lap before stretching out arms. Andric picked him up and hugged him close, tears shooting into his eyes when he realized that his son had waited with finally walking until he had come back.

He hadn't missed this moment entirely.

\--

More than a decade later, four young men were sitting side by side on their horses, reigns held in steady hands as three sets of eyes – one violet and the other two different shades of blue – watched the fourth one whose dark violet eyes were set straight ahead. 

Watching the city that laid down the hills, down at the shores of the bay.

“You okay?” Torrhen Sand spoke up when the silence seemed to drag on a bit too long, twisting a little further around on his black horse to watch the boy he had grown up seeing as a brother. “You've been staring at it for quite a while yet, I can barely feel my butt anymore.” His words prompted the leaner boy on the white horse to snort, on his other side Robb Stark rolled his eyes.

“Seriously, though.” Edric Dayne made himself known on Torrhen Sand's left, “We should move on before anyone sees us and starts asking question. If we don't catch up with the others in a week, we're gonna be in so much trouble.” He pointed out and blew a stubborn lock of blond hair out of his face. Torrhen groaned upon his sense for obeying the strict orders that Uncle Arthur had given out to all of them, orders they had already broken because they had left the side roads to take a look at the city.

On Jon's personal wish.

And Jon was still staring down at the large city with the great Keep and the great Sept. Torrhen honestly found the city quite ugly and had absolutely no idea what his cousin could find so fascinating in staring at it so long.

“Jon?” He lowered his voice a little, though he didn't mind at all that Robb and Edric would still be able to hear him, he took his reigns into one hand and reached over to squeeze Jon's wrist, finally succeeding in pulling him out of this spell, “You okay?”

“I want it.” Jon suddenly said, blinking and then looking at each of them in turn, Torrhen frowned for a moment before he got it, lips pulling into a smirk when Jon looked to him, a fire almost dancing in his eyes. “I want what is mine.”  
“Well, then what are we waiting for?” Torrhen chuckled, whistling loudly once to call the wolves back where they had vanished back into the forest when they had stopped to look out over King's Landing, “We can catch up to the others in a week, less if we ride through the night. I can't wait to see Arthur's face when you tell him about this in Summerhall of all places.”

Edric and Robb laughed, urging their horses on and turning away to ride back into the forest path, off the Kingsroad, out of sight.

Torrhen waited until they were out of earshot before he let go of Jon's wrist and straightened up in his saddle. “I'll be with you until the end. Until you're sitting on that Iron Throne and for all the decades to come. My sword is yours, my King.” He swore those words again that he had once before already, Jon smiled and nodded at him, and then they quickly chased after their friends.


End file.
